The newsprint in one year's worth of The Gazette - 15,000 tonnes, of which 20 per cent is made from recycled fibre - consumes the equivalent of 186,816 trees.

To produce that newsprint uses enough energy to heat 2,472 homes for a year and enough waste water to fill 272 swimming pools.

Newsprint production also causes 7,492 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions, equivalent to 1,500 cars for a year. That number does not include the unknown impact of logging and transportation of wood chips.

Our primary supplier, Papier Masson, is a champion when it comes to reducing C02 emissions, energy use and waste, London noted. "It's admirable." However, she urged The Gazette to increase recycled content.

"It's like reincarnation," she said. Newsprint can be recycled seven times.

"You're getting the full use of the paper."

London also urged us to switch to recycled office paper - a move that could save 676 trees a year.

We could also curb paper consumption by printing sheets on both sides and consulting documents on screen instead of printing copies.

Other impacts

We asked Zerofootprint, a Toronto not-for-profit organization that helps consumers and businesses reduce and offset their environmental impact, to estimate The Gazette's carbon footprint.

After paper use, the second most significant impact is from delivering the newspaper. The 73 contractors and subcontractors and 800 carriers who deliver The Gazette are responsible for 3,256 tonnes of C02 emissions annually.

Nick Garrison, Zerofootprint's communications director, said it's unrealistic to expect to achieve significant reductions in this area. However, Garrison pointed out home delivery has a much smaller footprint than hopping in the car to go to the store. Similarly, having food and other goods delivered is more environmentally friendly than shopping by car , he said. "We should all be following newspapers' example."

Heating our printing plant is our next-biggest impact, with a carbon impact of 744 tonnes of C02. The impact of heating our rented downtown office is 150 tonnes of C02. Electricity at the plant accounts for 48 tonnes of C02; at the office, 15 tonnes; office paper, 72 tonnes; transportation for employees, 110.

Total

The results of this Green Report Card suggest our total carbon footprint - not including the unknown impact of logging - is 11,887 tonnes of C02 - the equivalent of 3,885 compact cars for a year.

Anouk Bertner, communications manager at Ottawa-based sustainability consultants The Natural Step, suggested The Gazette's next step might be to put together a group of management and staff who are highly motivated about the environment.

"People want to become champions," she pointed out. "People are not going to get involved unless they take ownership."